ACB top brass appointed against ICC rules: activists

KABUL (Pajhwok): Civil society activists say the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB)’s affairs should be run in line with the rules and regulations of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Last year, President Ashraf Ghani though separate decrees appointed Lotfullah Mashal as ACB chairman and Shafiqullah Stanikzai as executive head.

Enayatullah Naseri, head of the Taghir Omaid civil society organization, told a joint press conference with activists from other groups: “According to our analysis, the cricket board has become a political office. ACB chairman and executive director have been appointed against ICC laws and the president has been provided wrong information in this regard.”

A statement from the Taghir Omaid group said some ACB employees had created a front and the grouping showed issues existed in the board.

Earlier, as many as 30 ACB employees went on strike and demanded the ouster of chairman Mashal.

Islamic Culture Youth Society head, Mohammad Gul Babkarkhel, said unprofessional individuals appointed in the cricket board were behind the current mess. He claimed the ACB had no policy and coordination and decisions were made individually.

ACB chairman Mashal had termed the strike by the board employees as ‘unprofessional and unnecessary.’

He had claimed the striking officials had not informed him about the reason behind their strike.

ACB officials who earlier rendered resignations had been found involved in embezzlement and corruption based on evidence, Mashal said.